Second Chances (14 page)

“Sure, okay. I’m a defense attorney who works with insurance companies, usually in wrongful death claims. I’ve been gainfully employed for seven years, and I shower every day.” He chuckled, playfully teasing her as he spoke. “Anything else you want to know?”

“Yes, why did you move to Charleston from Chicago?”

“That’s easy, for the weather. Have you ever wintered in Chicago or anywhere in the Midwest for that matter?”

“I can truthfully say I haven’t.”

“Well, there you go. I was offered a partnership in a well-established law firm here in the city. It was too tempting to pass up. I’m just a lucky guy.” He laughed at his own clever comeback. “Anyway, what’s your favorite dinner restaurant in Charleston?”

“I’m not telling you until we’re finished. You still have to fill out the application and let me go through my presentation.”

“Really… you’re going to do a presentation?”

“Well, of course,” she said, blushing. “This is serious to me. I don’t want to rent to somebody irresponsible just because they can afford it. There are other tenants I need to be considerate of. Anyway, please give me your attention.”

Abby opened her butter-soft calfskin briefcase and pulled out the folder she had prepared for Brandon. “Here are the photos of the available rooms and common areas, and this is the monthly room cost. Breakfast and dinner are included in the rent.”

“Okay, I’ll be serious for a few minutes.” He grinned as he opened the folder and paged through the photos. “I’ll admit, it’s a beautiful home. I love antiques and quality architecture. Do you know what year this house was built and in what style?”

“Actually, I do. It’s an Italianate mansion and was built in 1853. The neighborhood is beautiful and safe, and there’s a park right across the street.”

“It sounds pretty nice. Okay, I’ll fill out the application. I’m sure, Miss Taylor, you’ll find all my credentials are in order,” he joked again. “Anyway, when do I get to check out the new digs in person?”

“When I review your application and determine you aren’t a flight risk.”

“I like that. You’ve got a quick wit. Have you decided where we’re going to have dinner yet?”

Brandon Luck was a tough man to turn down. Abby liked everything about him, from his good looks to his cocky sense of humor. He was outgoing and funny, even though he was somewhat full of himself.

“Fine then, if you want to have dinner with me, meet me at Josh’s Grill on King Street at seven sharp. Thanks for the coffee.” Abby stood and reached out to shake his hand. He took hers and gave it a soft kiss instead. She blushed, that time a fiery red, and shook her head with a laugh as she walked out.
Holy crap, I’m going to get myself in hot water with this guy. He’ll be hitting on all of us, but if I do accept him as a tenant, the house will finally be full, and I can start to relax.

“Where’s Abby? Why isn’t she eating dinner with us?” Erik asked anyone who might know the answer to his question.

“I think she’s going out to eat tonight,” Melanie responded as she passed the plate of lasagna around the table.

“That’s unusual. Who is she going out with?” Erik’s expression changed from happy-go-lucky to disappointment in two seconds flat.

“She didn’t say, but she’s still upstairs getting ready. I think she’s leaving in about a half hour. Maybe she’ll come down and say goodbye before she leaves.”

The fun-loving group at the table carried on their usual evening conversation without missing a beat. Laughter echoed throughout the dining room from everyone except Erik. He sat solemnly eating his dinner in silence. Melanie inconspicuously looked in his direction and saw how let down he was.
Man, he has it bad for her. I have to find out tomorrow what she’s up to and with whom.

The sound of hard-soled shoes running down the staircase alerted the diners that Abby was dressed and ready to leave. She peeked around the corner of the dining room door and said good night to everyone. “That lasagna smells great, Betsy. See you guys in the morning.”

With that, and no time for anyone to respond, Abby was out the door and climbing into the back of the waiting taxi. She felt bad, as if she were doing something wrong, after seeing the look in Erik’s eyes. She left quickly, a deliberate act so nobody would ask questions, especially Erik.
What the heck am I doing, and why do I feel guilty? I like Erik, but Brandon is nice, too. I don’t intend to get involved with either of them, especially if they both live in the same house with me. It’s only dinner with a new guy in town. Southern hospitality, that’s all.

Brandon waited outside the entrance to Josh’s Grill. The cab pulled up to the curb just five feet from him. Even through the cab’s tinted windows, Abby could see how sexy he looked. Brandon knocked on the driver’s window and handed him a twenty, then opened the back door for Abby. He reached in and, with a warm smile, helped her out.

“You didn’t have to pay my cab fare. Thank you, but it wasn’t necessary.”

“Well, since I couldn’t pick you up like a proper date, the least I could do was pay the cabbie.”

“Is this what we’re doing, having a proper date? We just met this afternoon.” Abby laughed and relaxed as they walked through the door.

“This is a pretty upscale place, very similar to Gibson’s in Chicago. I like it, great choice. I hope the food is good.”

“Oh, the food is delicious, and I did want you to feel at home. I’ve heard Chicago has exceptional restaurants.”

The hostess greeted them at the podium, “Good evening, table for two?”

“Yes, we have reservations for Luck.”

“Certainly. Follow me, please.”

Brandon let Abby lead while he rested his hand at the back of her waist. He pulled the chair out for her to sit and pushed it in when she did. The hostess handed them each a menu and left.

“You look gorgeous tonight. That turquoise dress matches your eyes perfectly.” He neatly spread the cloth napkin across his lap and gave her an approving smile.

Man, he’s smooth. How did I get two seemingly decent guys to like me within one month when I couldn’t even hang on to my husband?
“Thank you. You look really nice, too.”

The server announced the evening specials, and they ordered, including a bottle of wine.

“So why are you interested in renting a room rather than an apartment or a house?”

“Your friend’s cousin did a really good job pitching the place. He said the price was right, the neighborhood was wonderful, and the woman in charge was gorgeous. I guess that’s all the convincing I needed.”

“You’re lying!” Abby gasped with a discreet smack on his hand from across the table.

“I am not,” he said with a laugh. “I swear that’s what he said. I had to see if he was telling the truth or not. You know, from a curiosity standpoint, if nothing else.”

Their steaks and baked potatoes arrived, each with a side salad.

“Everything looks great, and the steaks look pretty good, too.”

Abby shook her head and rolled her eyes. “You really know how to schmooze the ladies, don’t you?”

The cab slowed to a stop in front of the house on South Battery at eleven thirty. Erik was still awake, lying in bed, thinking about Abby. He heard a car door close and looked out the window behind his bed. Abby walked to the iron gate, punched in the code, and entered the house. He listened for her footsteps walking the hallway, but the loud sound of heels never came up the stairs, past his door, and up to the third floor.

She must have taken off her shoes. Abby is considerate, after all
. The floorboards squeaked as she passed his door and took the stairs up to her third-floor bedroom. Erik listened closer and realized the squeaks ended above his head.
Her bedroom is right above mine.
He heard the sound of her closet door open and close, then the twang of her bedsprings as she lay down to sleep.

Erik slept lightly, restless because of Abby. He wanted to become closer to her, not just casual friends. She was keeping something deep inside all to herself, something unspoken, and he could sense it. He wanted Abby to trust and confide in him, to tell him her secrets and to fall in love with him. Her absence tonight weighed heavily on his mind. Was she on a date or just meeting a casual friend for dinner? He rolled over and punched the pillow, finally drifting off to sleep.

“Good morning, everyone,” Abby said as she sat down for breakfast. She looked around the table and noticed all eyes were on her. “What? Why is everybody staring at me?”

“Just curious,” Mel said quickly before Erik did. She wanted to save Erik from the question he was obviously about to ask. She didn’t want him to appear jealous in Abby’s eyes.

“You’re curious about what?” Abby laughed, knowing exactly what her friend was getting at. She grabbed a piece of toast from the plate in the center of the table and spread it with peach jam. “I was interviewing a potential tenant yesterday, and they asked if I wanted to join them for dinner, that’s all.”

“Funny how you said ‘they’ instead of ‘he’ or ‘she,’” Mel said, picking up on Abby’s innocuous description.

“Whatever. Are there any scrambled eggs left, Betsy?”

“Sure. Hand me your plate.” Betsy walked over to the stove top and plopped a large spoonful of scrambled eggs onto Abby’s plate. “Want some cantaloupe, too, while I’m near the fridge?”

“Yes, please.” Abby glanced toward Erik and smiled.

He was already staring at her as he fidgeted with the food on his plate, pushing it from one side to the other. “So have you approved this potential tenant’s application yet?” he asked.

“No, but I should know enough today to make a decision. It will be really nice to fill all the rooms. Everyone seems like they’re a really good fit for this home, and each other, as far as friendships go.”

“I’ll second that. I like everybody,” Lisa said enthusiastically. “And I love being this close to school.”

“I’m happy it’s working out so well for you, Lisa. I hope all of you enjoy living here.”

“When you’re done eating, Abby, I’d like to have a word with you. No rush,” Erik said as he got up and cleared his plate from the table. With the water running, he scraped the leftovers into the sink and hit the switch for the garbage disposal. He opened the dishwasher when Betsy came up behind him.

“Hey, doing dishes isn’t in your job description, mister. Come on now, beat it. I’m in charge of the kitchen duties.” She gave him a quick grin and a swat with the dish towel.

Erik excused himself and walked out to the backyard. He sat on a bench in the shade of a palmetto tree at the far corner of the yard. Within twenty minutes Abby came out carrying two cups of coffee. She sat down next to him on the bench and handed him a cup.

“Thanks. You’re thoughtful.”

“Is something wrong? You seem on edge.” She took a sip of her steaming drink and looked around the backyard. “I really love this place. It’s peaceful back here, you know?”

“It sure is. I was contemplating how the pergola should look and how to situate it off the kitchen.”

“Is that what you wanted to talk about? I thought something was wrong.” Relief swept across Abby’s face as she realized Erik wasn’t going to bombard her with questions about last night. He would find out soon enough when she approved Brandon’s rental application. At that point, he would clearly realize she had gone to dinner with a man she had just met. She laughed, pointing to a ruby-throated hummingbird darting around the rhododendron bush just ten feet away. “Aren’t they precious?” she asked, reaching over and squeezing Erik’s left hand. It felt so natural to her that she hadn’t given it any thought.

Erik responded by kissing her tanned shoulder. “I really like you. Can we just see how this plays out?”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. I have a walk-in closet full of skeletons. Wouldn’t that scare you away?” she asked.

“Not a bit. When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be here to listen.” He kissed the back of her hand. Her fingers were still intertwined with his. “Okay, so how about that pergola… are we going ahead with it?”

“We certainly are. How beautiful the backyard looks is entirely up to you. I trust your judgment completely, and you’ll have a three-thousand-dollar budget to work with. Do it proud.”

“That sounds doable. I’ll start measuring and sketching things out today. By this time tomorrow, I should have a pretty good landscape and hardscape diagram to show you.”

She stood to go inside, her fingers wrapped around the coffee cup. “To answer your question from before, I’d like that. Let’s just live in this wonderful home and take things one day at a time. It will work out if it’s meant to. Anyway, I can’t wait to see what you do with the backyard. Are you coming in?”

“Naw… not yet, I’ve got some thinking to do.”

“Okay, see you later.” Abby headed toward the house, but turned back just before opening the screen door. She playfully waved at him. Erik shook his head and laughed.

With a glass of water, Abby retreated to the library and opened her laptop. She needed to do a background check and employment history on Brandon Luck so she could contact him and set up a time for a tour of the house. She had only one large bedroom left, so he wouldn’t have a decision to make other than saying yes or no to living there. The background check software she had bought last month, while pricey, was a godsend, and everyone had signed a yearlong lease. She justified the expense because she would likely use the software again in the future when the tenants’ leases were up.
I wonder what my life will be like in a year. Will my finances be on track so I can go back to school? Will I be happy and find someone to fall in love with? Do I even want that?

Forty-five minutes and two glasses of water later, Abby was on the phone with Brandon.

“Hey, Abby, it’s good to hear your voice again. Did I pass your stringent background check?”

“Did you have any doubt?” She chuckled and relaxed in the leather chair with her bare feet resting on the desk.

“Not really. As an attorney, I can’t be too irresponsible, as you put it. I do have an image to uphold.”